


Vacation Blues

by Fairleigh



Category: Original Work
Genre: Coincidences, Fluff, M/M, Modern Era, Mundane Protagonist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-10 00:26:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19896856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fairleigh/pseuds/Fairleigh
Summary: If his mother hadn’t had that frightening false health alarm, he’d still be summering in the Other Hemisphere. Instead, he was spending the remainder of his hard-earned vacation days cowering from the winter cold beneath the stifling weight of six blankets and listening to a neighbor grunt and strain and drag what sounded like a suitcase full of bricks up the stairs —





	Vacation Blues

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SylviaoftheDepths](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SylviaoftheDepths/gifts).



_Beep, beep, beep!_

“Fuck,” Michael groaned as his alarm clock wrenched him out of a very pleasant dream. He’d forgotten it was set. He switched his alarm off, rolled onto his side, and squinted at the window. Still completely dark outside, not even a hint of dawn to color the sky. A spiky rime of frost glazed the edges of the glass. Michael groaned again. What manner of monstrous modern world forced a man to rise before the sun?

It’d been _such_ a pleasant dream, too. He was back on his once-in-a-lifetime vacation to the Other Hemisphere, where the days were long, the weather was bright and summery, and the skies were azure blue. Where his mornings had been filled with visits to museums, walks around ancient, picturesque towns, and sites of natural or historical interest; his afternoons had been spent napping on the beach or by the pool; and his nights … oh, his nights! His nights had been all about _Benj_.

Well, strictly speaking, _one_ of his nights had been about Benj. If Michael had had his druthers, they would’ve been aaaall about Benj. Benj was the archetypal charismatic local boy, perfection in his native habitat, all smiles, eager to please. And down to fuck. Oh, had he _ever_ been down to fuck —

_Thump, thump, thump!_

“Fuck,” Michael swore into his pillow. If his mother hadn’t had that frightening false health alarm, he’d still be summering in the Other Hemisphere. Instead, he was spending the remainder of his hard-earned vacation days cowering from the winter cold beneath the stifling weight of six blankets and listening to a neighbor grunt and strain and drag what sounded like a suitcase full of bricks up the stairs —

_Thump, thump, thump … CRASH!_

“Fuck,” Michael swore a third time. Time to lend a neighborly hand, it seemed. Michael climbed out of bed, cringing as the frigid air hit him like an oncoming high-speed train, and threw on a thick terrycloth bathrobe. He headed out of his apartment and towards the sounds of struggle emanating from the adjacent stairwell —

“B-Benj?!”

“Oh hi!” the man with the suitcase full of bricks — _Benj_ — said. “Michael, is it? What a coincidence! Who would’ve thought we’d be neighbors?”

“Y-you … you’re … ” Michael stuttered. A part of him wondered if he was still dreaming. But no. It was too fucking cold and dark to be a dream. As if in a trance, he picked up the other end of Benj’s suitcase and helped him the rest of the way up the stairs. He was on the fourth floor, apparently, same as Michael.

“Seeing the family was nice while it lasted, but I’ll be glad to get back to work tomorrow. Lots of catching up to do at the office! Hey, are you 49E?” He nodded toward Michael’s half-open apartment door. “I’m 49F. We’re neigh — ”

“Wanna hang out later?” Michael interrupted. He had lots of questions, questions that he probably should have asked the first time around, to be honest; hopefully Benj would have answers now. Hopefully he’d still be down to fuck, too. Or, even better, down for a serious relationship, since Michael was single and hadn’t had a steady boyfriend since — god _damn_ , Benj was _hot_.

“Hmm? Yeah sure!” Benj said with a toothy grin that shone brighter than the Other Hemisphere’s summer afternoon sun. “Your place or mine?”

Suddenly, Michael’s cold, dark world wasn’t looking quite so cold and dark anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Slightly inspired by Kander & Ebb's "Ring Them Bells."


End file.
